I was born on a farm owned by my parents in a small East Texas Community April 2, 1923. I attended high school in Windom, Texas and graduated in 1940. On August 27, 1940, the day that the Draft was signed into law, I joined the army so that I could get into the Signal Corps. I had been interested in electronics since I was about 5 years old, and thought I could learn more in that field in the Signal Corps. I was sent to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio for Basic Training, but the army was gearing up for receiving draftees, and since I could type, was taken out of basic training on the third day, and sent to Camp Hulen, Texas to activate that facility. I typed the orders activating the camp, but instead of staying on as a clerk typist, was placed in the communications facility where I remained until the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. I married Ruth Morrel Kelley on April 4, 1942. I was sent back to San Antonio, and from there to Tyler Commercial College, where we trained soldiers to copy code. Since we were living off post, my wife moved to Tyler with me, when our first child, Martha was born. From Tyler I was transferred to Headquarters 8th Service Command, and then to Oklahoma Military Academy. I volunteered as an Aviation Cadet in the Air Corps, but all trainees who had not completed their training were transferred into the Infantry, where I remained and was sent overseas with the 69th Infantry Division. We saw combat in all three major campaigns or Battles in Europe. I was wounded March 22, 1945 near Remagen, Germany, and was flown to England for treatment. President Roosevelt died while I was in the hospital, and I was given a furlough to recuperate for 2 weeks. This was 2 days before Germany surrendered. I spent most of my furlough in London, and was in London on the official day the War ended. I was at Trafalgar Square when Churchill and his entourage drove right by where I was located. I also saw the Royal family.. Queen Elizabeth then was Princess Elizabeth. I was returned to my Infantry Company and remained there until Japan surrendered, at which time I returned to the USA... and discharged October 20, 1945. I had never held a job except working on my Dad's farm and I was worried about what I was going to do when I was discharged from the army. I enrolled in Nixon Business College, and applied for a job at the local theater as a projectionist. So I attended College in the daytime, worked for the theater at night. I had always been interested in radio broadcasting, so I applied for and auditioned as an announcer for the local radio station. My job was to open the station at 5 o'clock in the morning and do news and morning shows until 8 in the morning, when we joined the network, at which time I headed to school... I don't know how I stood up to such a rigorous schedule, but I did so for about three months...getting only about 5 hours sleep per day. The manager of the radio station called me in and told me that I could be a top notch announcer, but that I wasn't getting enough rest. I didn't feel so at the time, but being dismissed from the station was the best thing that could happen to me. Our son, Frederick was born on January 22, 1947. After finishing college and getting a degree in business, I was not happy with the prospect of becoming an accountant or business manager, so I enrolled in Tyler Commercial College, where I graduated and obtained a FCC commercial Radiotelephone license. I immediately started back to work for the same station that dismissed me earlier, but it was only for short period, relieving the chief engineer who was going on vacation. I learned that a new radio station was being constructed in Bonham, Texas, so I applied for and was accepted as a radio announcer and engineer combination there. I became more oriented in radio production than I was in engineering, and was offered jobs all over Texas as announcer, and usually with a raise, or a larger market. I even worked as a vacation relief announcer a Dallas station one summer... while at the same time was staff announcer for another station... in other words, I was working two jobs at once. During this period, I applied for a job opening in the communications department of the Missouri Pacific Railroad. I went to work for the railroad May 6, 1953, and was back at my first love. Electronics and communications. I was offered and took a promotion as Supt. Signals & Communications in Osawatomie, Kansas on May 1, 1966. But a couple of months after accepting this job, two districts of the MP Railroad were combined, and the Superintendent who was on the job longer was made superintendent over the combined district, so I was demoted to Supervisor of Signals & Communications, but with same pay. I was not too happy with the situation in Kansas, so resigned as supervisor, and returned to my previous job as a communications technician, but was promoted again within a few months, and transferred to Houston, Texas, where I remained until I retired as a Manager of Communications facilities for the merged Missouri Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad, April 30, 1984. My first wife and I were separated and divorced while I was in Houston. I met my present wife, Elizabeth Ann Woodward while I was on a temporary assignment in Addis, Louisiana in 1976. We were married December 3, 1977 in Denham Springs, Louisiana, where we reside to this day. Our hobbies are computers, photography, ham radio, and genealogy. Liz's real love is collecting dolls, and spoiling our three "Children" Luce, Vince and Scooter (three spoiled cats).. They don't know that they are not human, and we treat them as such.

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